Super Mario (Kodansha manga)

The title of this article is official, but it comes from a non-English source. If an acceptable English source is found, then the article should be moved to its appropriate title.

Super Mario
Cover artwork of the Super Mario Bros. 3 manga by Kodansha.
Publisher Kodansha
Label Comic BomBom Special (Super Mario Bros. 3), KC Deluxe (rest of the series)
Artist(s) Kazuki Motoyama
Volumes 43

The Super Mario manga by Kazuki Motoyama, also known as KC Mario, was serialized by Kodansha in their manga anthology Comic BomBom from December 1988 through September 1998, with side chapters published in the sister publication Deluxe BomBom, spanning a total of 183 stories. The manga features original characters, the use of self-referential humor, and occasional references to Japanese pop culture. The manga was never published under a single consistent title, instead changing its title to tie in with the latest Super Mario game being adapted at the time, starting from Super Mario Bros. 3 all the way up to Super Mario 64, with the final two collected volumes in this series tying into Yoshi's Story. The manga ceased publication due to Kodansha losing the Super Mario license and has never been reprinted since then.

A total of 43 collected volumes, or tankōbon, were published of this series.[1] The first volume, based on Super Mario Bros. 3, was published as a manga strategy guide as part of Kodansha's Family Computer Hisshō Dōjō series under the "Comic BomBom Special" imprint. From Super Mario Land and onward, the volumes were published as regular manga collections under the "KC Deluxe" imprint. The first few pages of each volume contain a mini strategy guide featuring commentary on levels from the games the stories are based on. While the volumes contain most of the mainline chapters and side chapters, there were five chapters, including the finale, that were not featured in any of the collections.

There were also two collections of 4-koma comic strips released under this series, with the strips themselves being drawn by various artists in addition to Motoyama.

VolumesEdit

This section is under construction. Therefore, please excuse its informal appearance while it is being worked on. We hope to have it completed as soon as possible.

Comic BomBom SpecialEdit

Title Description Date of release Image
Super Mario Bros. 3 Kanzen Kōryakuhon A strategic guide of Super Mario Bros. 3 told in the style of a comical manga. March 1, 1989  

KC DeluxeEdit

# Title Description Date of release Image
1 Super Mario Land A four chapters adaptation of Super Mario Land: Mario and Princess Peach are celebrating Princess Daisy's birthday, when she is suddenly kidnapped by Tatanga, an alien prince that wants to force her to marry her. Mario goes to her rescue, while Peach follows him with a Mekakuribō suit to ensure he does not cheat on her. August 17, 1989  
2 Super Mario Land 2 Tetris story arc: Mario and Peach discovers a map to the pyramid of the Tetris Tribe. The group overcomes the tribe's traps and trials, until they have a face off against King Tetris, who is revealed to be a disguised Bowser. After Bowser steals the tribe's rocket ship, he begins an attack on Earth by dropping from the sky Tetris blocks and turning the Toads into blocks. December 16, 1989  
3 Super Mario Land 3 A volume dedicated to Mario's sports entries: Golf (both USA and JAP versions), Baseball and Tennis. March 17, 1990  
4 Super Mario Land 4 Qix story arc: Bowser kidnaps Daisy and forces Mario and Peach to save her by beating various Super Mario Land enemies to a Qix-styled game. July 17, 1990  
5 Doctor Mario Dr. Mario: Bowser develops a monster virus army to invade the Mushroom Kingdom, while he runs to safety with Peach and Daisy. Mario discovers that the viruses hate a mountain mushroom, from which he creates the capsules to defeat them. After all viruses are defeated, Bowser releases a final one that he made invulnerable to the capsules and infects Luigi. In order to save him, Mario and Peach enter his body. October 17, 1990  
6 Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 1 First part of the Super Mario World story arc: while on vacation on Dinosaur Land, Mario, Luigi and Peach find a dinosaur named Yoshi. He explains Bowser has taken over the Dinosaur Land and stole the Yoshi's Eggs. Right then, some Super Koopas capture Peach and take her to Bowser. February 6, 1991  
7 Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 2 May 9, 1991  
8 Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 3 August 6, 1991  
9 Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 4 October 5, 1991  
10 Super Mario World! Mario Open Golf February 6, 1992  
11 Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 5 March 6, 1992  
12 Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 6 June 6, 1992  
13 Super Mario Bros. 4: Super Mario World 7 October 6, 1992  
14 Super Mario World! Yoshi no Tamago August 6, 1992  
15 Super Mario Kart 1 February 6, 1993  
16 Super Mario USA March 6, 1993  
17 Super Mario Cart 2 June 5, 1993  
18 Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Tsu no Kinka 1 July 6, 1993  
19 Super Mario Cart 3 November 6, 1993  
20 Super Mario: Land 2 - 6 Tsu no Kinka 2 January 8, 1994  
21 Super Mario: Yoshi no Road Hunting 1 March 5, 1994  
22 Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Tsu no Kinka 3 May 6, 1994  
23 Super Mario Yoshi no Road Hunting 2 June 6, 1994  
24 Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land 1 First part of the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 story arc: a golden statue of the Mario Bros. will be exposed in the Mushroom Kingdom plaza, but the statue is stolen away by the Black Sugar Gang pirates. Mario, Luigi and Mario chase them to their lair, Kitchen Island, where they also meet Wario, with whom join forces to take the statue and the pirate's treasure. October 6, 1994  
25 Mario & Wario August 5, 1994  
26 Super Mario: Wario no Mori Wario's Woods story arc: young Mario and young Peach are fantasizing on how their life will be when they will grow up. Meanwhile, a young Wario, jealous of Mario, finds in the middle of the forest a seal, releasing the demon Fauster after breaking it. The demon gifts to him his army of monster to satisfy any desires of his in exchange for setting him free to take over the Peaceful Woods and then the world. November 2, 1994  
27 Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land 2 Second part of the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 story arc: the statue arrives to Captain Syrup, who immediately fuses the statue into one of herself. The group them faces against Syrup and her Genie and wins, but losing all the treasure collected in their journey. December 6, 1994  
28 Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land 3 Post-story of the Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 story arc: with the Black Sugar Gang disbanded, Syrup has lost everything and search for the Genie's lamp, who Wario tossed away after getting a bird house as his new "castle". While Syrup convinces herself that Mario had got the lamp stuffed in his pants, the Black Sugar Gang remaining members enter in possession of the lamp, with the intent of ruling over the world and getting revenge on their former captain for losing the loot. May 6, 1995  
29 Super Mario: Donkey Kong 1 January 9, 1995  
30 Super Mario: Donkey Kong 2 March 6, 1995  
31 Super Donkey Kong with Mario 1 Donkey Kong Country story arc: Mario is taken to Donkey Kong Island where he is asked by his former and aged rival to help his nephew fight back the invading Kremling Krew, who just welcomed in their ranks Manky Kong, an exiled Kong member that wants to make they pay for chasing him out of the island. Mario helps them and the Kremlings are defeated, while King K. Rool is stuffed into a Steel Keg and tossed into the sea. June 6, 1995  
32 Super Donkey Kong with Mario 2 Mario's Picross story arc (post-story of the Donkey Kong Country story arc): Mario can't leave the island with Funky Kong's Jumbo Barrel broken. Meanwhile, King K. Rool drifts off the Mushroom Kingdom coast, where he is freed by the Toads, who are immediately conquered by him. He then returns to DK Island to challenge Mario and the Kongs to a Picross tournament, if they win, the Mushroom Kingdom will be released by his clutches and he will leave DK Island in peace, otherwise they will both fall under his regime. September 6, 1995  
33 Super Mario: Yoshi Island 1 February 6, 1996  
34 Super Mario: Yoshi Island 2 June 6, 1996  
35 Super Mario: Yoshi Island 3 October 5, 1996  
36 Super Mario 64 1 November 6, 1996  
37 Super Mario 64 2 January 8, 1997  
38 Super Mario 64 3 June 6, 1997  
39 Super Mario 64 4 September 5, 1997  
40 Super Mario 64 5: Mario Kart 64 March 6, 1997  
41 Super Mario 64: Yoshi Story 1 June 5, 1998  
42 Super Mario 64: Yoshi Story 2 August 6, 1998  

GalleryEdit

CoversEdit

ArtworkEdit

ColorEdit

Black & WhiteEdit

ContentEdit

NotesEdit

  • This is one of few instances of Mario media where a main character dies. In this case, volume 26 shows that Princess Daisy sacrifices herself to save the people of the Mushroom Kingdom from a fatal disease, turning into spores. However, Daisy is later revived, as the spores touch down and bloom into flowers, which then grow into a horde of small versions of Daisy. Daisy subsequently appears in several gag strips, having returned to normal size.
  • In 2019, Super Mario author Kazuki Motoyama started publishing a series of doujin books titled Kinoppe-chan Forever (キノッペちゃんForever), starring the manga's original character Kinoppe. Due to their self-published nature, these are not considered official Super Mario material.
  • According to the author's note in the 2nd installment of Kinoppe-chan Forever, a former editor of Kazuki Motoyama had pitched him a spin-off manga starring Kinoppe. These plans were halted when Nintendo unexpectedly pulled ComicBonBon's Super Mario manga license in 1997.

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit